The air armada now includes U.S. Air Force aircraft
designed for close support of ground forces, including the
AC-130U “Spooky” aerial gunship and the A-10 Thunderbolt II
“Warthog” jet.

The AC-130U, made by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co.,
is designed to orbit over an area at night and strike enemies
with 40mm and 105mm cannons and a 25mm Gatling gun; the A-10 is
designed to attack tanks and other ground forces with a 30mm
Gatling gun, bombs and missiles, according to the Air Force.

Qatar, U.A.E. Jets

Six Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired against a
headquarters facility of the 32nd Brigade, Gortney said, which
is estimated by the Pentagon to have as many as 10,000 soldiers
and has been commanded by Qaddafi’s son Khamis. Other targets
included ammunition dumps, bunkers and surface-to-air missile
sites, he said.

The coalition has expanded with pilots from Qatar, who flew
several missions and are scheduled to fly several more, Gortney
said. A dozen aircraft from the United Arab Emirates will arrive
soon to help enforce the United Nations-mandated no-fly zone
over the northern part of Libya, he said.

The majority of the 178 sorties flown over the past 24
hours were strike-related, Gortney said. The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization will assume command of the entire mission
over the next few days, he said.